Abstract

The recent introduction of digital health into generating demand for health commodities and services has provided practitioners with an expanded universe of potential tools to strengthen demand and ensure service delivery receipt. However, considerable gaps remain in our understanding of which interventions are effective, which characteristics mediate their benefit for different target populations and health domains, and what is necessary to ensure effective deployment. This paper first provides an overview of the types of digital health interventions for demand generation, including untargeted client communication, client-to-client communication, on-demand information services, personal health tracking, client financial transactions, and targeted client communication. It then provides a general overview of 118 studies published between January 1, 2010, and October 3, 2017, that used digital interventions to generate demand for health interventions. The majority (61%) of these studies used targeted client communication to provide health education or reminders to improve treatment adherence, and the most frequently (27%) studied health condition was HIV/AIDS. Intervention characteristics that have been found to have some effect on gains in demand generation include modality, directionality, tailoring, phrasing, and schedule. The paper also explores new emergent digital approaches that expand the potential effect of traditional demand generation in terms of personalization of content and services, continuity of care, and accountability tracking. Applying existing frameworks for monitoring and evaluation and reporting, research on emerging approaches will need to consider not only their feasibility but also their effectiveness in achieving demand generation outcomes. We propose a research agenda to help guide the field of digital demand generation studies and programs within a broader health systems strengthening agenda, including establishing and documenting the influence of intervention characteristics within different populations and health domains and examining the long-term effects and cost-effectiveness of digital demand generation interventions, as well as equity in access to such interventions.

Highlights

  • Global Health: Science and Practice 2018 | Volume 6 | Supplement 1Goals

  • The use of ondemand information services enables clients to determine the timing and content of the health information and reduces concerns related to client confidentiality, a common challenge associated with targeted client communication.[24,25,26]

  • It is not clear if the phrasing of messages has had an impact on health-seeking behaviors, it is likely that the phrasing is specific to study populations and health outcomes

Read more

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Through these mobile phone-based modalities, clients can access health information by sending a message to an advertised number known as a short code Documented examples of this intervention include platforms used by the Engage-TB approach and the Mobile for Reproductive Health (M4RH) project, whereby clients navigate through a menu of options by texting codes to specify the type of information they are seeking.[23] The use of ondemand information services enables clients to determine the timing and content of the health information and reduces concerns related to client confidentiality, a common challenge associated with targeted client communication.[24,25,26] Evidence for this type of client engagement in LMICs, related to sexual and reproductive health,[27] is emerging; studies to date have demonstrated its effectiveness in improving client’s knowledge and awareness of health behaviors. Health care use was defined as a study that required participants to attend a clinic for a provided service

Limitations
Schedule
Summary
A PROPOSED RESEARCH AGENDA
Findings
CONCLUSION
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call